July 2012 Impact Young Heroes Newsletter

It seems a lifetime ago; that London was selected to be the location for the 2012 Olympics and now the build up to the big event is upon us. Over the last few weeks, we have seen the ‘Olympic Flame’ travel around the country with thousands of people celebrating, as it passed through towns and villages. Although we can’t all take part in the Olympics, we can still enter into the spirit of it all. We have a great idea for how you can raise funds to support young people with cancer and also have a great time with your friends, in our ‘Olympic Afternoon Tea’ fundraising idea of the month.

We also welcome Young Heroes newest arrival; Louis James Doran. This little man was born on the 14th June and Mum and baby are doing well. Congratulations to Kim, Michael and Devon, on the new addition to your family.

We are looking forward to our very own Rob Law’s remake of ‘On The Buses’ on the 11th July, so hope that the weather holds up and that we can all help Rob to raise funds, to support young people who are living with cancer.

We have a few Thank yous to very special people, who continue to support Young Heroes and also a couple of thoughts/ articles from Young Heroes very own Bev and Rob Law.

There are also articles and links to fundraising sites, where you can support Young Heroes without having to jump from a plane or do bungee jumps! If you hate going to the shops but can stomach internet shopping, we have the fundraising tool just for you. You can ‘shop until you drop’ and support Young Heroes and you don’t even have to move from your armchair….bonus!

You can also read about a teenager from America, who has made an amazing discovery; which could help in the early detection of pancreatic cancer and we have also attached a web link to an article on the early detection of skin cancer.

All in all, we hope that you have a good summer and that there is more

On the buses – Rob Law

I’m arranging with various bus companies to do a sponsored ride, as reported in last month’s Newsletter. Please visit my site for details of how to sponsor me http://www.justgiving.com/Bevandrob

I have worked out a route which will take me from Stillington to Leeds and then onto the north of Yorkshire and back home again in about ten hours covering the best part of 170 miles. So if you see me ‘out and about’ on 11th July, shout Young Heroes and put some money in my bucket or better still text my donation site. 10p/mile is only £17 but added up it will make a big difference to a Young person who desperately needs something to look forward to, as they struggle with their illness.

Regards,

Rob.

How it works

1)write one of the following text codes into the main body of your text

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to a Gift Aid form.
If you’re a UK tax payer, your charity benefits from a 25% boost to your donation

Why use TextGiving?

1) The charity gets every penny

This is a free service so no admin fees are taken

2) It’s free to take part

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Simply send a text and give up to £10 using your Impact Young Heroes unique six-digit code.

Please support us By using our text donation service.

Jubilee Celebrations at Sheriff Hutton Castle!

Dr and Jenny Howarth invited us to join their celebrations and have an Impact Young Heroes stand at the Jubilee Fair on the 2nd June in the grounds of the Castle ruins, owned by the family for more than 70 years.

Sheriff Hutton Castle has an important place in English history with its associations with Warwick the Kingmaker and Richard III, and its use as a seat of provincial government via the Council of the North up until 1537.The Castle was used as a palace for Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset, the acknowledged bastard son of Henry VIII, during his childhood.

The castle became the property of Henry VII and stayed in the hands of the crown until they were granted to Charles, Princes of Wales, later known as Charles I.

It was a cold but ‘DRY’ day and people came from the village to join the fun which included dog shows, tug of war and a variety of stalls.

We were fortunate to have some Bric a Brac and toys to sell and we made £91!

Robert was able to recruit some sponsors for his sponsored bus ride( £42 to date), and we were able to raise awareness of Cancer in teenagers and young adults at the same time.

The children loved sorting through the toys; some using their pocket money, and others getting round grannies and granddads to buy for them! The adults keenly listened to the stories we shared with them about the work of the Charity, and how we urgently need funds, in order to ‘makeabigdifference’ to the people who ask for help and support.

Our friend Jeanette Senior came to help and bought some things herself. We are most grateful for your support Jeanette and we thank you for your contribution. Jeanette is a Counselling Psychologist who works at Middlesbrough Hospice supporting staff. She is well aware of the distress not only affecting the young people and their families, but also the staff who work in the field of palliative care on a daily basis.

Above – Jeanette playing Quoits provided by us to add some entertainment to the day. There were three winners with the highest score, and prizes were donated by Carers Federation Ltd, with a prize from us, for the youngest winner, who gratefully received a Frisbee!!

It was a truly successful day and we are most grateful to Richard and Jenny for their invite, and the opportunity to have a stand for Impact Young Heroes

40th Surprise Party for Young Heroes mum!

Rosie Topps, one of our Young Heroes who has appeared in previous newsletter articles about the families trip to Canada, contacted Robert and me to invite us to a surprise 40th Birthday party for her mum on the 26th May. The party was to be held at the New Inn, Easingwold, near York.

Rosie asked if we could take some food to contribute to the celebrations which we happily agreed to do. The table was laden with everything from Sandwiches, quiche and Sausage rolls, to scrummy chocolate brownies and other goodies.

Julia couldn’t believe it when her friend suggested they just ‘pop’ in for a drink, and found her many friends ready to greet her and congratulate her on her Birthday.

A good night was had by all, and it was very special to see Rosie laughing and dancing with her friends. Rosie, who is currently enjoying being in remission having suffered Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia from the age of 14 years to almost 18 years old, with many ongoing problems from her Chemotherapy treatment, said “ It’s so lovely to see mum happy and enjoying her special day”!

Well done Rosie for achieving the surprise party, certainly a night to remember!

Bev Law

Fundraising Idea of the month – Olympic Afternoon Tea

Do you enjoy long lazy days in the garden? If so, an afternoon of fundraising in the garden will be no hardship! Take one garden, a few tables and chairs, scones, jam, cream, tea and/or champagne, a few friends and you have yourselves a very enjoyable afternoon and in the process you help to raise much needed funds to support young people, who are living with cancer.

Example menus and prices:

TeamGBTea–£10.00perperson

Two warm home-made scones with delicious clotted cream and delightfully fruity jam, served with a pot of tea (or cafetiere of Coffee)

Impact Young Heroes – Big Thank You’s

This month, a Young Heroes Big Thank You goes to Yvonne Hewitt and her friends and family. Yvonne has supported Young Heroes for many years and always makes time to do a raffle and this year has been no exception. Yvonne raised a grand total of £112, to support young people who are living with cancer. Thank you Yvonne…..you’re a star!

Impact Young Heroes also wishes to thank The Rotary Club of Ripon and The Rotary Club of Otley, for their generous donations of £100. Donations of this nature really do make a big difference to Young Heroes and the young people we support.

The Secret Millionaire

Do you believe in fairies or indeed, in angels? The truth is, “No!” In reality, “I wish.”

As a child, to mark the passage of time and growing up, the first tooth to be lost was put under the pillow as we went to sleep and in the morning the Tooth Fairy had replaced it with a silver sixpence.

It was never an act of deceit, but of love.

Angels are like fairies only much bigger, but an angel is simply a messenger. They may be human or animal or indeed part of nature which communicates more to us than just the obvious. Jesus often encouraged his hearers to ‘read the signs’ such as blossom on a tree tells us that winter if over and ‘new life’ is about to happen.

Angels are God’s messengers telling us of God’s acts of caring love. We may not like what we’re told and choose to ignore the message, carrying on with our old life and turning a blind eye to the suggested new life on offer.

Yet we can all be angels – messengers, and occasionally told, “You’re an angel!” It often happens when we are in the right place at the right time. It’s when a much needed word of encouragement is given, when a light touch or a warm smile tells you that you are loved. The cynics amongst us will say that it was just coincidence, but they couldn’t be further from the truth. They are God incidents, when he surprises us by letting us know that we are loved not because of what we have done, but because of whom we are – his children.

It’s like finding sixpence under our pillow from the tooth fairy.

Being a messenger for God takes practice. It is all too easy to ignore the signs on the grounds of hoarding everything or being careful. Just remember that what goes round comes round. Or put it another way, you prevent by your actions, your angel helping you.

Practice then being an angel and fill in the gaps in other people’s lives. Be a secret millionaire by putting a tear into someone’s eye, a broad smile onto their face and hope into their heart. Fulfil someone’s dream, however small and know that your angel is about to put a sixpenny fortune under your pillow.

By Rob Law

Is It Skin Cancer? How to Tell a Harmless Mole from a Melanoma

Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer but it can be hard to identify. The ABCDE guide helps. If your mole fits the characteristics below, call your dermatologist pronto:Asymmetry—if the mole could be folded in half, the two halves wouldn’t matchBorder irregularities—the mole’s borders are uneven or blurredColor variations—the mole has mixed shades of tan, brown, black or other huesDiameter—the spot is bigger than a pencil eraserEvolution—its appearance has changed in some way

“Skin cancer is highly curable when it’s found early,” says iVillage skin expert Doris Day, M.D., a clinical assistant professor of dermatology at New York University. “Keep an eye on your skin and look for changes.” Still, not every mole or mark is dangerous. Here are some more tips to tell the difference.
Read More http://www.ivillage.com/know-your-abcdes/4-b-212581#ixzz1zqugI8pg

Article taken from ivillage

American teenager creates test for early detection of pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most difficult cancers to diagnose, oftentimes not detected until the most advanced stages. However, new advances in medical science have provided a way to find pancreatic cancer before it spreads.

New advances made by a 15-year-old Maryland high school student.

North County High School freshman Jack Andraka earned the grand prize at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair for creating a test that can detect early-stage pancreatic cancer with 90% accuracy and at a cheaper rate than other tests.

“It detects an abnormal protein that you find in the blood when you have a pancreatic cancer,” Dr. Anirban Maitra, professor of pathology, oncology and chemical and biomolecular engineering at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, told CBS affiliate WJZ-13. “He conceived this idea, and I think the fact that he is 15 makes this whole story more remarkable.”

An estimated 44,000 people will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this year; of those patients, 94% will die within five years of diagnosis and 74% will die within the first year. It is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the U.S.

“I got interested in early detection because that’s the best chance of treating cancer,” Jack said. “The only practical way of doing this is through routine blood tests, so that’s what I’ve developed here.”

Jack won $100,000 in prize money, which he plans to put toward college.

Give as you earn

An easy way to support Impact Young Heroes is via Payroll giving. Charities Aid Foundation says that: “Good employers make great communities. In today’s world, corporate responsibility is core to creating a sustainable and successful business. We support our clients in developing and delivering corporate responsibility programmes within the UK and globally, through our network of international offices. Whatever the size of your organisation, we can provide the support you need to achieve more”.

Charities Aid Foundation say that their CAF Give As You Earn scheme is the most popular payroll giving scheme in the UK, helping over 3,000 companies and 400,000 staff to give more than £80m to charity each year.

This powerful, flexible way to give enables you and your employees to donate to Impact Young Heroes on a monthly basis. .

It’s a great way of engaging your staff in your community investment, whilst providing them with an additional perk as part of their benefits package.

Once you’re signed up to CAF Give As You Earn, the process is easy to manage. Each participating employee submits a Donor Instruction Form to your payroll department explaining what amount they wish to be deducted and where this money should go (the instruction can be changed whenever they wish). Then there are just three simple steps each payroll run:

Four ways to give

CAF Give As You Earn is highly flexible, offering employees four ways to give:

1. Direct donation

Employees’ payments go straight to Impact Young Heroes each payroll.

2. CAF Charity Account

An account especially for giving to Impact Young Heroes, which enables your employees to hold their funds so they always have money set aside to donate. This gives employees flexibility, allowing them to decide when they want to give, and the facility to top up their account from other sources whenever they wish.

3. CAF Staff Charity Fund

This account enables your employees to pool their donations as a group. This is a great way to raise money for Impact Young Heroes.

4. CAF Charitable Trust

Employees can set up their own charitable trust without having to appoint trustees or pay legal fees. This is the best way for them to manage their long-term giving.

If you are an employer, please consider CAF Give a you earn, as an ideal way to give to Young Heroes and if you are an employee, please ask your employer to consider supporting young people who are living with cancer via Impact Young Heroes. If you would like us to come and share the work of Young Heroes at a staff meeting, please contact me on 01142 43 18 50.